Extensible coat hanger



1950 M. s. KENWORTHY 1 2,527,312

EXTENSIBLE COAT HANGER Filed NOV-- 7 15, 1946 INVENTOR. Max S. Kenwor' 5% Patented Oct. 24, 1950 EXTENSIBLE COAT HANGER Max S. ,Kenworthy; Portland, reg., assignor to Earl M. Gregg, Portland, Oreg.

Application November 15, 1946, Serial No. 710,154

My invention relates to garment hangers and has for its particular object a garment hanger which may be adjusted to accommodate various sizes of garments without affecting the strength of the parts or their usefulness.

A further and moreparticular object of my invention is to provide a coat hanger having the usual type of body comprising a length, or several lengths, of bent wire formed into triangular form and having a supporting hook extending centrally of said body, and by which said body may be pendently supported upon a hook, rod, or other projection. To said body, I providea central formed section clamped to the body of the coat hanger and to the hook thereof to give it lateral support and providing a pair of guideways. In said guideways are extensible shoulder supports for the garment, which may bemfoved inwardly and outwardly of the guideways without affecting the remainder of the body. Thus the shoulder support may be extended to con form to the size and shape of the shoulders of a garment and to cause the garment supported thereby to be uniformly held throughout thev shoulder portion, so as to maintain its shape.

Further and more particular objects of my invention, and the details of construction thereof, are hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a garment hanger embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof taken upon a slightly smaller scale illustrating the manner in which the shoulder supports may be extended, said extension being indicated in dotted outline.

A garment hanger embodying my invention comprises a body portion l formed in the usual manner of a bent wire coat hanger. That is, it comprises two sloping upper portions 2 .and 2a joined by a horizontal cross bar 3. Extending upwardly from said body, and forming a pendent support therefor when the garment hanger is to be hung up, is a centrally disposed hook 4. Said hook has a shank portion 4a which preferably terminates in an offset end 4b. It is not essential that the parts be made separately. They may be made as a continuous length of wire bent in the usual manner. For my purpose, however, I find that separating the hook, its shank and the offset portion from the upper portions 2 and 2a aids in the construction and assembly of the garment hanger, as will hereinafter be brought out.

5 Claims. (Cl. 223 s9) a of sheet metal in the manner illustrated in Fig. l,

Clamped about said upper portions 2 and 2a is i or it may be cast or otherwise formed into this shape. Said central section has a pair of guideways 6 and 611 at the upper edge thereof. Said l guideways preferably are elongated transversely to the general plane thereof. In said guideways, respectively, are U-shaped shoulder supports I. Said U-shape is desirable so that the ends thereof may be formed into relativelywide loops la to provide a broad support for the shoulders of a substantial friction to hold them in set'position.

Said guideways extend from the marginal ends of said central portion to said hook 4. As is shown in Fig. v2, the shoulder supports may be inserted in the guideway until their ends are arranged in substantial abutment with the hook, or they may be extended laterally, as shown in dotted outline, so that the overall length of said garment hanger may be effectively widened to' accommodate a wide range of size of coats. They also may occupy any intermediate position.

The shoulder supports are preferably pulled out until they will underlie the points of the shoulder of a garment to be supported thereby. The exact position of the shoulder supports in the guideways may be viewed by a series of apertures 8, which extend through the walls of the central section adjacent the guideways and preferably through the top portion thereof. A garment hanger of this character is particularly designed for a suit. The coat may be hung over the shoulder supports and the latter may be extended to proper width. The horizontal cross bar 3 may be utilized to support a pair of trousers or a skirt.

The central section 5 is either pressed very tightly about the sloping upper portions 2, 2a, and

the body portion, so there is no relative move ment therein, or else said central section is cast thereon, or otherwise secured thereto. I refer to the member 4 as a hook, but I wish this con strued broadly. It might also be formed into a closed eye, or any other form, for hanging it upon a hook or rod or other projection. It is most common to form it into an open-sided hook as illustrated, so that it can either pass over a rod or can engage a peg or hook carried by a wall or other support.

I claim:

1. A garment hanger comprising a triangular body terminating in a central hook from which the body may be pendently supported, said body having sloping upper portions and a horizontal connecting portion, a central section gripping the sloping upper portions of said body and said hook, said central section including a fiat stiff web overlying said body, projected upwardly therefrom, and defining a pair of guideways along the upper edge of said web, said guideways extending parallel to the sloping upper portions of said body, and a pair of shoulder supports for a garment slidably engaging said guideways and adjustably mounted therein, thereby to vary the effective width of said garment hanger.

2. A garment hanger comprising a triangular body of bent wire terminating in a central hook from which the body may be pendently supported, said body having sloping upper portions and a horizontal connecting portion, a sheet metal central section gripping the sloping upper portions of said body and said hook, said central section including a fiat stiff web overlying said body, projected upwardly therefrom, and defining a pair of guideways along the upper edge of said web, said-guideways extending parallel to the sloping upper portions of said body, and a pair of U- shaped shoulder supports for a garment slidably engaging said guideways and adjustably mounted therein, thereby to vary the effective width of said garment hanger.

3. A garment hanger comprising a body having elongated laterally projecting portions and a horizontal connecting portion, a central Web section secured to the projecting portions of said body, said central section having elongated guideways spaced above the projecting portions of said. body, a pair of shoulder supports for a garment slidably engaging said guideways and adjustably mounted therein, thereby to vary the effective width of said supports, and a hook extending cen- 4 trally from said central section for pendently supporting said hanger.

4. A garment hanger comprising a body having elongated laterally projecting sloping portions, a central web section secured to the projecting portions of said body, said central section having elongated guideways spaced above the projecting portions of said body, a pair of U-shaped shoulder supports for a garment :slidablyengaging said guideways and adjustably mounted therein, thereby to vary the efiective width of said supports, and a hook extending centrally from said central section for pendently supporting said hanger.

5. A garment hanger comprising a body having elongated laterally projecting sloping portions and a horizontal connecting portion, a central web section secured to the projecting portions of said body, said central section having elongated guideways spaced above the projecting portions of said body, a pair of shoulder supports for a garment slidably engaging said guideways and adjustably mounted therein, thereby to vary the efiective width of said supports, and a hook extending centrally from said central section for pendently supporting said hanger, said guideways being apertured to permit the ends of the shoulder supports to be viewed to inspect the position thereof in said guideways.

' MAX S. KENWORTHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Hauser Oct. 1'7, 1911 

